Method of making electrical socket connections



Oct. 5, 1948. E. A. SPRIGG 2,450,529

METHOD OF MAKING ELECTRICAL SOCKET CONN ECIIONS Filed Jan. 22, 1945 INVENTOR.

EDWARD A. SPRIGG ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 5, 1948 DIETHOD OF MAKING ELECTRICAL SOCKET CONNECTIONS Edward A. Sprigg, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to H.

Buggie & Company, Toledo, Ohio, at corporation of Ohio Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,853

and to a method of producing the socket contact part for electrical connectors.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide. an electrical contact socket which lends itself to high production processing at a reasonable cost and which yieldably grips a cooperating contact pin in a manner to reduce the potential drop to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a method of manufacturing the socket composed of a relativley few simple steps capable of being expediently and inexpensively carried out.

A further object of this invention is to provide a spring metal socket having axially spaced continuous annular portions and having the portion intermediate the annular portion-s diagonal 1y slotted and twisted to reduce the internal diameter of the bore in the socket sufficiently to enable the intermediate portion of the socket to grip a cooperating contact pin.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is an enlarged side elevation of a socket electrical contactor constructed in accordance with this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the socket shown in Figure 1.

The electrical contact socket is illustrated in the several figures of the drawing by the reference character I and is preferably formed of spring metal having good electrical conductin characteristics such, for example, as spring brass. The contactor l0 comprises an electrical cable connecting end portion II and a socket portion l2 axially bored to receive a cooperating contactor pin (not shown).

The socket portion I2 is provided with axially sp ced continuous annular portions l3 and with an intermediate portion I 4 having slots l5 formed in opposite side walls. The slots [5 extend from one annular portion l3 to the other annular portion and are respectively disposed in planes which cross or extend in diagonal relation to each other. The planes intersect one another in a plane including the axis of the bore in the socket at a point midway between the continuous annular portions 13, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.

In actual practice, the bore in the socket is drilled or otherwise formed with an internal di- 2 Claims. (Cl. 29-15555) ameter slightly greater than the external diameter of the contact pin to be ultimately engaged in the bore. The opposite side walls of the intermediate portion are then sawed or otherwise cut to form the narrow diagonal slots [5 therethrough. Owing to the relative positions of the slots I5 previously described, it will be noted that they, in efiect, divide the intermediate portion I4 of the socket contact into spaced generally spiral shaped sections integrally connected at opposite ends by the continuous annular portions l3.

Upon completion of the sawing or cutting operation, the contact I!) is clamped in a jig or other suitable holding fixture and the socket end is twisted or turned. The slots [5 are thereby partially or completely closed and the internal diameter of the socket or bore is reduced. In order to avoid deformation of the cylindrical bore during the twisting operation, a suitable mandrel (not shown) having an external diameter somewhat less than the corresponding diameter of the contact pin to be ultimately engaged in the socket is inserted in the bore prior to twisting or turning the socket. In any event, the width of the slots is predetermined to enable the twisting movement required to set the metal of the intermediate portion M to an internal diameter slightly less than the external diameter of the pin to be engaged in the socket or bore. The construction is such that insertion of the appropriate contact pin into the socket imparts a spiral expanding motion to the intermediate portion M of the socket within the elastic limits of the metal so that the pin is firmly gripped by the socket.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The method of making a spring metal electrical socket connector having a bore comprising cutting opposite sides of the socket to form slots extending in planes diagonally disposed with respect to each other, reducing the internal diameter of the bore by turning one end of the slotted portion of the socket relative to the opposite 2,450,529 3 Yond the elastic limit of the metal to set the Number metal to said reduced diameter. 1,259, 752 EDWARD A. SPRIGG. 2,294,432 2,307,972 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,358,745

The following references are of record in the file of this patent: Number 352,102 UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 414,057

Number Name A Date 708,613 309,029 Lombard Sept. 25, 1888 786,768

4 Name Date Laird Mar. 19, 1918 .Weidner Sept. 1, 1942 Strunk Jan. 12, 1943 Stleglitz 1 Sept. 19-, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1931 Great Britain 1934 France May 4, 1931 France 1935 

